Refrigerator with rotatable shelf



Oct. 13, 1953 s. BABISKIN REFRIGERATOR WITH ROTATABLE SHELF Filed Aug. 2o, 194s MQW /f/ /V//f 5 www u 1-,@ @RN OQ fm m A L v 0 n Z .EB` 3 /l M S Z 3 A M w .,nl m l. W m O m Y lllm r I m Patented Oct. 13, 1953 NIT-Eo STATES d are l 'REFRIGERATOR WITH EQ'EATABLEVSHELF Sidney Babiskin, New York, ApplicationtAugust 20, 194,8;2SerialNm 451,315

2 Claims.

This invention relates to domestic refrigerators, and more in particular to providing for revolving a rectangular shelf in a domestic refrigerator.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved shelf construction for a domestic re frigerator. A further object is to provide a rectangular shelf in a refrigerator which may be rotated to move objects at the rear of the refrigerator to the front thereof. A further object is to provide a refrigerator cabinet and shelf construction whereby the refrigerator may be used to maximum advantage. A further object is to provide an arrangement such as that referred to above wherein the refrigerator is square in horizontal cross-section. These and other objects will be in part obvious, and in part pointed out below.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts as will be exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the drawings in which is shown one embodiment of the invention:

Figure l is a front elevation of a portion of a domestic refrigerator;

Figure 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section on the line 3--3 of Figure 2.

In domestic refrigerators it is difficult to use the space efficiently because of the inability to have ready access to the rear portions of the shelves. In accordance with the present invention this difficulty is overcome by providing for the turning of the shelves so that the rear portion of the shelf may be brought to the front of the refrigerator. The present invention has particular application to refrigerators having a square horizontal cross-section, but it is also adaptable to other refrigerators such as those having rectangular horizontal cross-section.

Referring particularly to Figure 1 of lthe drawings, there is shown a domestic refrigerator with the door open so that only the side walls 2 and 4 and the rear walls 6 are seen. A shelf 8 is formed by a square rim lll, and a plurality of parallel cross bars I2 (see Figure 2). At the-front of the refrigerator the rack is supported by a bar I4, which in turn is secured at its two ends to brackets I6 fixed to the side walls 2 and 4. At the rear of the refrigerator the rack is supported by a pair of corner brackets I8, each of which presents a rectangular top surface and has a flange 2 portion 20 which is fixed to the refrigerator wall. The walls of the refrigerator are formed by a sheet metal outer shell 22 and a porcelain-covered sheet metal inner shell 24, the space between which is filled by heat-insulating material 26. In horizontal alignment with shelf 8, the

inner shell 24 has three slots in the form of grooves or pockets 28, 3l] and 32 positioned respectively in walls 2, 4 and 6. Each of these slots or pockets has an arcuate bottom wall so that it is somewhat arcuate in horizontal section with its maximum depth at the vertical center line of its wall (see also Figure 3). These slots or pockets are of sufficient vertical extent to permit the corners of shelf 8 to move through them so that the shelf can be rotated to bring any side of it to the front of the refrigerator. The intermediate position of the shelf during rotation is indicated in broken lines in Figure 2, and when the shelf is moved to this position the shelf edge is moved away from the two rear corners of the refrigerator; but brackets I8 cover the void thus produced so that objects will not fall from the shelf.

While being moved, the shelf is supported by bar i4 at the front of the refrigerator and by the ledges formed by pockets 28, 30` and 32 at the sides and back. Thus, a rigid support is provided and the shelf may be rotated with ease. 'I'he pockets shown may be cleaned readily, but when desirable they may be larger than shown. Under some circumstances shelf 8 may have its rim I0 bowed out between its corners so that the center portion of each side rests in its slot or pocket; thus, the shelf is supported by the slots even when in the full line position of Figure 2.

The heat-insulating material 26 adjacent pockets 28, 30 and 32 has sufficient heat-insulating qualities to maintain the desired temperature in the refrigerator without excessive heat loss or other undesirable effects. When desirable less efficient types of insulation may be used at the corners of the refrigerator and above and below the pockets.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth, or shown in the accompanying drawing, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a domestic refrigerator, the combination of, a cabinet structure enclosing a food storage space which is substantially square in horizontal cross-section, a shelf which is substantially square with rounded corner and of such size and shape as to substantially t snugly within said food storage space to support food or the like, said cabinet structure having in the vertical surfaces deiining said food storage space three horizontally aligned arcuate slots respectively in three vertical side walls with each of said slots having its maximum depth at the vertical center line of its wall and so arranged that said shelf may be turned in a horizontal plane whereby the side adjacent the front of the refrigerator can be moved to the rear thereof.

2. Apparatus as described in claim 1 which includes, a fixed bar extending across the front of the refrigerator directly beneath said shelf to provide support therefor, a pair of brackets supporting said bar, and a pair of corner brackets positioned respectively at the two rear corners of the food storage space to assist in supporting the shelf.

SIDNEY BABISKIN.

References Cited in the file 0f this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 159,565 Damen Feb. 9, 1875 856,764 Case June 11, 1907 10 2,115,343 scurlock Apr. 26, 193s 2,142,008 Scott Dec. 27. 1938 2,189,240 Burr Feb. 6, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 15 Number Country Date 134,039 Switzerland Sept. 16, 1929 460,514 Great Britain Jan. 28, 1937 

